1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to an image forming apparatus. More particularly, the present general inventive concept relates to a cover opening and closing unit removably mounted to a main body of an image forming apparatus to cover a developing unit and a transferring unit, an image forming apparatus having the same, and a method of removing and mounting a cover.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, image forming apparatuses include consumable parts, such as a developer cartridge, a developing unit including photoconductive mediums, a transferring unit, and the likes. Such consumable parts having predetermined lifespan are removably structured for replacement with new ones when the lifespan is over.
Frequently replaced parts, such as the developer cartridge, are structured for a user's convenient access since they are generally replaced and maintained by the user. However, some other parts, such as the developing unit and the transferring unit, need a skilled workman or an expert engineer for replacement. If such parts are open to every person's access, the image forming apparatus may malfunction due to an unskilled user's mistake or wrong operation in a removal and mounting of the parts. Therefore, general developing units and transferring units are equipped with a dedicated cover unit for protection from undesired access.
A color image forming apparatus includes developer cartridges separately for respective colors. A high-speed color image forming apparatus, especially, may include separate developing units for respective colors. The respective developing units include a drain for discharging waste developer. The discharged waste developer is collected to a waste-developer receptacle removably connected to a lower end of the respective developing units.
In general, the waste-developer receptacle is removed before performing maintenance work, such as repair and replacement of the developing unit and the transferring unit, and remounted after the maintenance work are completed.
However, in case that the user breaks the correct order by mistake or forgets to remount the waste-developer receptacle after the maintenance work, the inside of image forming apparatus may be contaminated by the waste developer leaking during operation of the image forming apparatus. Especially, furthermore, a conventional cover unit for merely covering the developing unit and the transferring unit can be locked regardless of presence of the waste-developer receptacle. In other words, even with the waste-developer receptacle unmounted after the maintenance work, the user may lock the cover unit.
Meanwhile, a connection structure between the drain of the developing unit and an inlet of the waste-developer receptacle is sealed by sealing members superposed on each other by predetermined thickness, so as to prevent leakage of the waste-developer. When the waste-developer receptacle is separated from the developing unit, the waste-developer accumulated in the sealing members may scatter about, thereby contaminating the inside of image forming apparatus.